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At Night, White Bracken
Folk horror meets sink estate in run-down working class what have Danny, Cooper and Hickey unleashed?
Gareth Wood's portrayal of urban desperation is so fiercely authentic it seems to pulse with darkness, but it leads to episodes of inspired weirdness and ultimately to an awe-inspiring vision that verges on the cosmic. He's an impressively original talent, and the field is richer for his work. - Ramsey Campbell
"I was the only attendee. There was no priest, no vicar, no guru, no shaman, no liar. It was just me and the trench, with one solemn worker keen to fill in the hole." This is a gruesome, brutal, fascinating book. It reminds me of Stephen King, drawing the reader into a dark, perverted reality. This novel has that same type of believable brutality, but it also incorporates a supernatural element. The vigilante realism and brutality could happen in life, perhaps the most horrific element of all. - CS Fuqua, author of Walking After Midnight
Gareth Wood's portrayal of urban desperation is so fiercely authentic it seems to pulse with darkness, but it leads to episodes of inspired weirdness and ultimately to an awe-inspiring vision that verges on the cosmic. He's an impressively original talent, and the field is richer for his work. - Ramsey Campbell
"I was the only attendee. There was no priest, no vicar, no guru, no shaman, no liar. It was just me and the trench, with one solemn worker keen to fill in the hole." This is a gruesome, brutal, fascinating book. It reminds me of Stephen King, drawing the reader into a dark, perverted reality. This novel has that same type of believable brutality, but it also incorporates a supernatural element. The vigilante realism and brutality could happen in life, perhaps the most horrific element of all. - CS Fuqua, author of Walking After Midnight
236 pages, Paperback
Published August 30, 2024
3 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Gareth Wood
13 books23 followersFound as a baby inside the smoldering husk of a meteorite that fell to Earth somewhere in the south of England, Gareth Wood grew to a facsimile of adulthood in western Canada.
His interest in apocalyptic fiction began early on, when as a child he read The Hobbit. The Battle of Five Armies was a world changer for young Gareth, leading him into fantasy, SF, horror and post-apocalypse fiction.
In 2004 Gareth sat down at his computer pondering writing a novella. Despite his better judgement, he did just that and then kept on going.
One day Gareth will sing the song that ends the world, but that day is not today.
His interest in apocalyptic fiction began early on, when as a child he read The Hobbit. The Battle of Five Armies was a world changer for young Gareth, leading him into fantasy, SF, horror and post-apocalypse fiction.
In 2004 Gareth sat down at his computer pondering writing a novella. Despite his better judgement, he did just that and then kept on going.
One day Gareth will sing the song that ends the world, but that day is not today.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
March 11, 2025
In the world of Big L Literature almost any book not written about the petty dramas of the bourgeoisie is relegated to the dusty back bookshelves of history. It is a death sentence to your credibility if you inject into your tale any of the ethereal world beneath our empirical one or any of the real people who actually live in it.
I cannot remember the last novel I read that so magnificently flew in the face of such condescension.
Here we are presented with a fantastical fall into a realm of occult creatures, blood sacrifices and, perhaps most horrifically, the great unwashed working class. Two for two then, genre fiction and a cast of characters you might meet as you struggle to earn your crust in the centre of any of England’s great cities.
And earn his crust the author most definitely did with this brutal, moving story of loss and rage in modern Britain. We are carried through a series of events that are often dreadful by prose that is always transcendent. It seems Gareth Wood is incapable of writing anything but a beautiful sentence, a much needed balm to soothe the wounds he inflicts upon his characters’ flesh and our psyches.
Also dragging us along is the sheer magnitude, both figurative and literal, of the locations the story is set in. There is the massive weight of the housing estate Danny and Cooper live on, the gravity of which seems to capture all who stray within it’s horizon, ever spiraling down into an oblivion distant but certain. Just as we think we have escaped this looming monolith we are pulled down into a fecund valley, whose grasping tendrils have roots deep and old. It is clear immediately that if any of us make it out of this chasm we will be forever changed by it.
Like the very best of horror this book replete with questions has very few answers for us. The fact that these questions are so interesting makes me sure that if the author ever has a mind to answer them we will need to listen to what he has to say.
I cannot remember the last novel I read that so magnificently flew in the face of such condescension.
Here we are presented with a fantastical fall into a realm of occult creatures, blood sacrifices and, perhaps most horrifically, the great unwashed working class. Two for two then, genre fiction and a cast of characters you might meet as you struggle to earn your crust in the centre of any of England’s great cities.
And earn his crust the author most definitely did with this brutal, moving story of loss and rage in modern Britain. We are carried through a series of events that are often dreadful by prose that is always transcendent. It seems Gareth Wood is incapable of writing anything but a beautiful sentence, a much needed balm to soothe the wounds he inflicts upon his characters’ flesh and our psyches.
Also dragging us along is the sheer magnitude, both figurative and literal, of the locations the story is set in. There is the massive weight of the housing estate Danny and Cooper live on, the gravity of which seems to capture all who stray within it’s horizon, ever spiraling down into an oblivion distant but certain. Just as we think we have escaped this looming monolith we are pulled down into a fecund valley, whose grasping tendrils have roots deep and old. It is clear immediately that if any of us make it out of this chasm we will be forever changed by it.
Like the very best of horror this book replete with questions has very few answers for us. The fact that these questions are so interesting makes me sure that if the author ever has a mind to answer them we will need to listen to what he has to say.
August 17, 2024
Deep in a Midlands high rise estate, smoking hash and supping flat Carling, Danny and Cooper are watching a show about hunters, featuring two men baiting and trapping paedophiles in a modern day blood sport. Inspired, Danny and Cooper join forces with Hickey, a particularly sinister and intimidating individual, and begin laying traps for their first victim, enlisting the help of a vulnerable young woman, Shanice. I appreciated the opportunity that Shanice’s character brought, allowing for moments of tenderness to exist in lives astutely observed.
There is a poetic quality to the writing, with prose alive on the page, perfectly describing the crime and grime, the bleak and the monstrous, in a place where men move in packs like rats among bladed edges of high rise blocks, edged by wire fencing. But as this terrifying and misguided plan unfolds, the world gains mysterious depth.
Danny is the narrator, revealing an intriguing personal backstory that sets him apart. Remembering recurring childhood nightmares, he introduces a cosmic quality that blends the possibility of magic with pallid reality. Realities collide, dread and merriment entwine, in a world of malevolent, sinister, magic, and a horror-filled journey cast in bright white light. The characters are real, and kept me guessing, as edgy as the estate. Streaks of almost beauty reveal humanity that is captivating, made more so by the harsh surrounds. And in this vividly depicted and entirely relatable world, the reveal of magic was the perfect tease to lead the way through the dark twists and turns.
A horrifying and brilliantly inventive, thought-provoking tale.
There is a poetic quality to the writing, with prose alive on the page, perfectly describing the crime and grime, the bleak and the monstrous, in a place where men move in packs like rats among bladed edges of high rise blocks, edged by wire fencing. But as this terrifying and misguided plan unfolds, the world gains mysterious depth.
Danny is the narrator, revealing an intriguing personal backstory that sets him apart. Remembering recurring childhood nightmares, he introduces a cosmic quality that blends the possibility of magic with pallid reality. Realities collide, dread and merriment entwine, in a world of malevolent, sinister, magic, and a horror-filled journey cast in bright white light. The characters are real, and kept me guessing, as edgy as the estate. Streaks of almost beauty reveal humanity that is captivating, made more so by the harsh surrounds. And in this vividly depicted and entirely relatable world, the reveal of magic was the perfect tease to lead the way through the dark twists and turns.
A horrifying and brilliantly inventive, thought-provoking tale.
January 30, 2025
A stunning debut novel from a voice I expect to hear a lot more from in horror. Gareth Wood's At Night White Bracken transports the reader into a dark and increasingly frightening world of violent crime and terror that then unfolds into something even more sinister, relentless and supernatural. This is folk horror told in a new way. It gripped me, clung to me and refused to let go until the end. I look forward to my next encounter with Gareth Wood's horrific world
September 19, 2025
reminded me a bit of my kill list and bizarrely angel heart. great creepy novel
July 12, 2025
This book gripped me from start to finish. Gareth's inventive descriptive prose is superb. He has a real gift for this and he pulls the most out of every scene.
Twisted beauty is found in grim situations, and such a poetic nature of storytelling compels the reader to want more.
The story is unusual, as a group of disillusioned people form. They create common ground through something they feel vindicates their existence, and what follows is an ominous build to the horror that awaits them.
I could imagine this would make a great film. Shane Meadows or Ben Wheatley would be wonderful choices to adapt this.
Can't recommend this enough. Truly outstanding.
Twisted beauty is found in grim situations, and such a poetic nature of storytelling compels the reader to want more.
The story is unusual, as a group of disillusioned people form. They create common ground through something they feel vindicates their existence, and what follows is an ominous build to the horror that awaits them.
I could imagine this would make a great film. Shane Meadows or Ben Wheatley would be wonderful choices to adapt this.
Can't recommend this enough. Truly outstanding.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews